thermal storage

Rio Tinto studies giant hot-brick thermal battery to cut fossil fuel use at Queensland alumina refinery

Rio Tinto and Rondo Energy have begun engineering and design work on a 360 MWh thermal storage project at the Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone, Queensland, which would use hot bricks to make steam after sunset. The study-stage system could supply about 5% of the refinery's steam needs and cut roughly 67,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, with ARENA funding backing the effort.